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Glos fight back after Jennings misses out on 100

27 June 2022

Opener Keaton Jennings narrowly missed out on a century as Lancashire on the second day of the LV= Insurance County Championship match with Gloucestershire at Bristol. 

The experienced England Test batsman hit 94, off 152 balls, with 15 fours and a six, helping his side reach 226 for four in their first innings by the close, 111 behind. Steven Croft was unbeaten on 49. 

Gloucestershire had been bowled out for 337 from an overnight 279 for seven, Chris Dent falling for 110 and Zafar Gohar a valuable 62, his highest score for Gloucestershire.  

Jack Morley finished with four for 91. On a benign pitch, the total looked below par and a second-wicket stand of 115 between Jennings and Josh Bohannon paved the way for Lancashire to make serious inroads. 

Gloucestershire needed their tail to wag in the morning session after day one. But Dent could add only a single to his overnight score of 109. 

After a cautious start, he departed lbw to Tom Bailey, falling across his stumps. But Gohar, unbeaten on 31 at the start, began to play positively, pulling Luke Wood for six to reach a 92-ball half-century. 

Matt Taylor brought the 300 up with a two through the leg side off Wood and the pair added a further 21 before Gohar top-edged a forcing shot off Morley and Bohannon took a low catch running in from mid-on. 

Taylor went lbw to George Balderson for a handy 16 to end the Gloucestershire innings. There was time for five overs before lunch, which was taken with Lancashire seven without loss. 

The hosts received a boost when Luke Wells fell to the first delivery of the afternoon session from Tom Price, bowled between bat and pad. 

Price impressed with a seven-over opening spell from the Ashley Down Road End, which featured three maidens and saw him beat the outside edge on several occasions. 

But from then on it was a struggle for the bowlers in bright afternoon sunshine as Jennings and Bohannon settled in to make the most of the placid surface. 

Jennings appeared to survive a tough chance to cover off George Scott on 32 and went to an assured half-century with a reverse sweep off left-arm spinner Gohar for his 11th four, having faced 71 balls. 

In the same over, the tall left-hander celebrated with a six over long-on. Bohannon was more measured in his approach, moving to 25 from 112 deliveries by tea, which was taken at 102 for one, with Lancashire 235 behind. 

Gloucestershire bowled well at the start of the final session, 21-year-old Price again threatening, while David Payne produced a probing spell from the Pavilion End. 

It was Payne who made a breakthrough with the score on 122, beating Bohannon’s solid looking defensive shot and bowling him for 34. 

Jennings was untroubled and looked odds-on to reach his 23rd first class hundred when edging medium-pacer Ryan Higgins though to wicketkeeper James Bracey, standing up to the stumps. 

Dane Vilas went cheaply, leg-before to a full ball from Price, who ended the day with two for 31 from 15 testing overs, and at 177 for four, Lancashire were still 160 runs adrift. 

But Croft was going well on 33 and found an aggressive partner in Phil Salt (33 not out) as they added 49 before stumps, Croft surviving a difficult low chance to Dent at second slip off Taylor on 47. 

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